Patents by Inventor Sarah Zerbini

Sarah Zerbini has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9018946
    Abstract: An integrated magnetic-field sensor designed to detect an external magnetic field, comprising a first magnetoresistive structure for detecting the external magnetic field, the first magnetoresistive structure including first magnetoresistive means having a main axis of magnetization and a secondary axis of magnetization set orthogonal to one another. The magnetic-field sensor further comprises a magnetic-field generator, including a first portion configured for generating a first magnetic field having field lines in a first field direction, and a second portion, which is coplanar and is connected to the first portion, configured for generating a second magnetic field having field lines in a second field direction, the first magnetoresistive means being configured so that the main axis of magnetization extends parallel to the first field direction, and the secondary axis of magnetization extends parallel to the second field direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Dario Paci, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20140283605
    Abstract: A z-axis micro-electro-mechanical detection structure, having a substrate defining a plane and a suspended mass carried by two anchorage elements. The suspended mass includes a translating mass, suspended over the substrate, mobile in a transverse direction to the plane and arranged between the anchorage elements and two tilting masses, each of which is supported by the anchorage elements through respective elastic anchorage elements so as to be able to rotate with respect to respective oscillation axes. The oscillation axes are parallel to each other to enable a translation movement of the translating mass. Fixed electrodes face at a distance the tilting masses or the translating mass so as to be able to detect displacement of the suspended mass as a result of external forces. Elastic supporting elements are arranged between the translating mass and the tilting masses to enable relative rotation between the translating mass and the tilting masses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.I.
    Inventors: Leonardo Baldasarre, Alessandro Tocchio, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20140230548
    Abstract: An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a die, having a substrate and a frame, defining inside it a detection region and having a first side extending along a first axis; a driving mass, anchored to the substrate, set in the detection region, and designed to be rotated in a plane with a movement of actuation about a vertical axis; and a first pair and a second pair of first sensing masses, suspended inside the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect thereto in the movement of actuation and so as to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; wherein the first sensing masses of the first pair and the first sensing masses of the second pair are aligned in respective directions, having non-zero inclinations of opposite sign with respect to the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Gabriele Cazzaniga, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20140174183
    Abstract: A detection structure for a z-axis resonant accelerometer is provided with an inertial mass anchored to a substrate by means of elastic anchorage elements so as to be suspended above the substrate and perform an inertial movement of rotation about a first axis of rotation belonging to a plane of main extension of the inertial mass, in response to an external acceleration acting along a vertical axis transverse with respect to the plane; and a first resonator element and a second resonator element, which are mechanically coupled to the inertial mass by respective elastic supporting elements, which enable a movement of rotation about a second axis of rotation and a third axis of rotation, in a resonance condition. In particular, the second axis of rotation and the third axis of rotation are parallel to one another, and are moreover parallel to the first axis of rotation of the inertial mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Inventors: Claudia Comi, Alberto Corigliano, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8760156
    Abstract: Two suspended masses are configured so as to be flowed by respective currents flowing in the magnetometer plane in mutually transversal directions and are capacitively coupled to lower electrodes. Mobile sensing electrodes are carried by the first suspended mass and are capacitively coupled to respective fixed sensing electrodes. The first suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction transversal to the plane in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a first horizontal direction. The second suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction transversal to the plane in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a second horizontal direction, and the first suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction parallel to the plane and transversal to the current flowing in the first suspended mass in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Baldo, Francesco Procopio, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8733172
    Abstract: An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a die, having a substrate and a frame, defining inside it a detection region and having a first side extending along a first axis; a driving mass, anchored to the substrate, set in the detection region, and designed to be rotated in a plane with a movement of actuation about a vertical axis; and a first pair and a second pair of first sensing masses, suspended inside the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect thereto in the movement of actuation and so as to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; wherein the first sensing masses of the first pair and the first sensing masses of the second pair are aligned in respective directions, having non-zero inclinations of opposite sign with respect to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Gabriele Cazzaniga, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8733170
    Abstract: A micro-electromechanical device includes a semiconductor substrate, in which a first microstructure and a second microstructure of reference are integrated. The first microstructure and the second microstructure are arranged in the substrate so as to undergo equal strains as a result of thermal expansions of the substrate. Furthermore, the first microstructure is provided with movable parts and fixed parts with respect to the substrate, while the second microstructure has a shape that is substantially symmetrical to the first microstructure but is fixed with respect to the substrate. By subtracting the changes in electrical characteristics of the second microstructure from those of the first, variations in electrical characteristics of the first microstructure caused by changes in thermal expansion or contraction can be compensated for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Ernesto Lasalandra, Angelo Merassi, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20140077798
    Abstract: Two suspended masses are configured so as to be flowed by respective currents flowing in the magnetometer plane in mutually transversal directions and are capacitively coupled to lower electrodes. Mobile sensing electrodes are carried by the first suspended mass and are capacitively coupled to respective fixed sensing electrodes. The first suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction transversal to the plane in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a first horizontal direction. The second suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction transversal to the plane in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a second horizontal direction, and the first suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction parallel to the plane and transversal to the current flowing in the first suspended mass in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Lorenzo Baldo, Francesco Procopio, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8661900
    Abstract: In a microelectromechanical device, a mobile mass is suspended above a substrate via elastic suspension elements and is rotatable about said elastic suspension elements, a cover structure is set above the mobile mass and has an internal surface facing the mobile mass, and a stopper structure is arranged at the internal surface of the cover structure and extends towards the mobile mass in order to stop a movement of the mobile mass away from the substrate along an axis (z) transverse to the substrate. The stopper structure is arranged with respect to the mobile mass so as to reduce an effect of reciprocal electrostatic interaction, in particular so as to minimize a resultant twisting moment of the mobile mass about the elastic suspension elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Angelo Antonio Merassi, Sarah Zerbini, Barbara Simoni
  • Patent number: 8661897
    Abstract: An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a driving mass, anchored to a substrate via elastic anchorage elements and moved in a plane with a driving movement; and a first sensing mass, suspended inside, and coupled to, the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect to the driving mass in the driving movement and to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; the elastic anchorage elements and the elastic supporting elements cause the detection movement to be decoupled from the driving movement. The elastic supporting elements are coupled to the first sensing mass at an end portion thereof, and the axis of rotation of the detection movement extends, within the first sensing mass, only through the end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Gabriele Cazzaniga, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20140038335
    Abstract: A MEMS acoustic transducer, for example, a microphone, includes a substrate provided with a cavity, a supporting structure, fixed to the substrate, a membrane having a perimetral edge and a centroid, suspended above the cavity and fixed to the substrate the membrane configured to oscillate via the supporting structure. The supporting structure includes a plurality of anchorage elements fixed to the membrane, and each anchorage element is coupled to a respective portion of the membrane between the centroid and the perimetral edge of the membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Angelo Antonio Merassi, Sarah Zerbini, Luca Coronato
  • Publication number: 20140015525
    Abstract: A magnetic-field sensor includes: a chip including a substrate having a first surface and an insulating layer covering the first surface; first and second magnetoresistors each extending into the insulating layer and having a main axis of magnetization and a secondary axis of magnetization; a first magnetic-field generator configured to generate a first magnetic field having field lines along the main axis of magnetization of the first magnetoresistor; a second magnetic-field generator configured to generate a second magnetic field having field lines along the main axis of magnetization of the second magnetoresistor. The main axes of magnetization extending transversely to each other and the secondary axes of magnetization extending transversely to each other. The first and second magnetoresistors extend into the insulating layer at a first distance and a second distance, respectively, that differ from one another, from the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Dario Paci, Sarah Zerbini, Benedetto Vigna
  • Patent number: 8565452
    Abstract: A MEMS acoustic transducer, for example, a microphone, includes a substrate provided with a cavity, a supporting structure, fixed to the substrate, a membrane having a perimetral edge and a centroid, suspended above the cavity and fixed to the substrate the membrane configured to oscillate via the supporting structure. The supporting structure includes a plurality of anchorage elements fixed to the membrane, and each anchorage element is coupled to a respective portion of the membrane between the centroid and the perimetral edge of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Sarah Zerbini, Angelo Antonio Merassi
  • Patent number: 8471557
    Abstract: Two suspended masses are configured so as to be flowed by respective currents flowing in the magnetometer plane in mutually transversal directions and are capacitively coupled to lower electrodes. Mobile sensing electrodes are carried by the first suspended mass and are capacitively coupled to respective fixed sensing electrodes. The first suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction transversal to the plane in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a first horizontal direction. The second suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction transversal to the plane in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a second horizontal direction, and the first suspended mass is configured so as to be mobile in a direction parallel to the plane and transversal to the current flowing in the first suspended mass in presence of a magnetic field having a component in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Baldo, Francesco Procopio, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8413506
    Abstract: An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a die, having a substrate and a frame, defining inside it a detection region and having a first side extending along a first axis; a driving mass, anchored to the substrate, set in the detection region, and designed to be rotated in a plane with a movement of actuation about a vertical axis; and a first pair and a second pair of first sensing masses, suspended inside the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect thereto in the movement of actuation and so as to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; wherein the first sensing masses of the first pair and the first sensing masses of the second pair are aligned in respective directions, having non-zero inclinations of opposite sign with respect to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Gabriele Cazzaniga, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20130061672
    Abstract: An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a driving mass, anchored to a substrate via elastic anchorage elements and moved in a plane with a driving movement; and a first sensing mass, suspended inside, and coupled to, the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect to the driving mass in the driving movement and to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; the elastic anchorage elements and the elastic supporting elements cause the detection movement to be decoupled from the driving movement. The elastic supporting elements are coupled to the first sensing mass at an end portion thereof, and the axis of rotation of the detection movement extends, within the first sensing mass, only through the end portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Gabriele Cazzaniga, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8312769
    Abstract: An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a driving mass, anchored to a substrate via elastic anchorage elements and moved in a plane with a driving movement; and a first sensing mass, suspended inside, and coupled to, the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect to the driving mass in the driving movement and to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; the elastic anchorage elements and the elastic supporting elements cause the detection movement to be decoupled from the driving movement. The elastic supporting elements are coupled to the first sensing mass at an end portion thereof, and the axis of rotation of the detection movement extends, within the first sensing mass, only through the end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Gabriele Cazzaniga, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20120161756
    Abstract: An integrated magnetic-field sensor designed to detect an external magnetic field, comprising a first magnetoresistive structure for detecting the external magnetic field, the first magnetoresistive structure including first magnetoresistive means having a main axis of magnetization and a secondary axis of magnetization set orthogonal to one another. The magnetic-field sensor further comprises a magnetic-field generator, including a first portion configured for generating a first magnetic field having field lines in a first field direction, and a second portion, which is coplanar and is connected to the first portion, configured for generating a second magnetic field having field lines in a second field direction, the first magnetoresistive means being configured so that the main axis of magnetization extends parallel to the first field direction, and the secondary axis of magnetization extends parallel to the second field direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Dario Paci, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8042396
    Abstract: A driving mass of an integrated microelectromechanical structure is moved with a rotary motion about an axis of rotation, and a sensing mass is connected to the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to perform a detection movement in the presence of an external stress. The driving mass is anchored to a first anchorage arranged along the axis of rotation by first elastic anchorage elements. The driving mass is also coupled to a pair of further anchorages positioned externally thereof and coupled to opposite sides with respect to the first anchorage by further elastic anchorage elements; the elastic supporting elements and the first and further elastic anchorage elements render the driving mass fixed to the first sensing mass in the rotary motion, and substantially decoupled from the sensing mass in the detection movement, the detection movement being a rotation about an axis lying in a plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Alessandro Balzelli Ludovico, Sarah Zerbini
  • Patent number: 8042394
    Abstract: A driving mass of an integrated microelectromechanical structure is moved with a rotary motion about an axis of rotation, and a sensing mass is connected to the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to perform a detection movement in the presence of an external stress. The driving mass is anchored to an anchorage arranged along the axis of rotation by elastic anchorage elements. An opening is provided within the driving mass and the sensing mass is arranged within the opening. The elastic supporting and anchorage elements render the sensing mass fixed to the driving mass in the rotary motion, and substantially decoupled from the driving mass in the detection movement. The detection movement is a rotation about an axis lying in a plane. The sensing mass has, in plan view, a non-rectangular shape; in particular, the sensing mass has a radial geometry and, in plan view, the overall shape of a radial annulus sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Coronato, Alessandro Balzelli Ludovico, Sarah Zerbini